If you've heard of the famous Italian luxury sports car brand Porsche, you've heard of the Porsche 911, and possibly even the Porsche 911 Carrera. The 911 is almost solely responsible for building Porsche's superior reputation for comfort and performance since its inception in 1963, and it continues to be an important part of the Porsche lineup today. Through careful style evolution and small changes, the Porsche 911 continues to be relevant in all its many forms.

Expert Ratings

Performance

Currently 5.00/5

Reliability

Currently 4.40/5

Appearance

Currently 4.44/5

Comfort

Currently 5.00/5

Overall

Currently 4.71/5

ReviewitOnline Ratings are based on a number of factors including reputation, appearance, model age, engine & other comparative aspects.

For the 2012 model year, the 911 is available in more than a dozen forms, including:, the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS (with a starting MSRP of $103,100), the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Black Edition (with a starting MSRP of $81,300), the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (with a starting MSRP of $85,400), the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS (with a starting MSRP of $112,000), 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (with a starting price of $98,300), the standard 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe (with a starting price of $79,000) ,and the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (with a starting price of $91,900). There's also a mid-year redesign of the Carrera S (with a starting price of $96,400) and a Cabriolet (convertible) variant of several of the 911 Carrera models.

The Carrera version of the Porsche 911 first premiered in 1973 for the 1974 model year, at which point it called the RS and was extremely well received. It's sleek, powerful, and it's one of the most aesthetically-pleasing coupes on the road today, and the original is now one of the most lusted-after Porsche 911s of all time. Collectors clamor for these fast, sleek vehicles, and they will likely continue to do so for many years in the future. For this review, we'll zone in on the new 2012 Porsche Carrera 4 coupe, which features all-wheel-drive instead of the traditional Carrera's rear-wheel-drive.

The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S has a starting MSRP of $98,300 and a top track speed of 185 mph. It achieves zero-to-sixty in approximately 4.5 seconds due to its direct fuel injection 3.8-liter engine that produces 385 horsepower. The 4S comes with a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, with ceramic composite brakes as optional. And, with features like an optional sport suspension, Porsche Traction Management, VarioCam Plus, a stainless steel exhaust system, the all-wheel drive is both stylish and has excellent driving dynamics. After review, we can say it's one of the most impressive vehicles in this year's Porsche 911 coupe lineup.